Matthew Denis
The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore.
LANE COUNTY, Ore. — South Lane County Fire & Rescue released a statement responding to a post on Fire Chief John Wooten’s personal Facebook page that rioters should be shot, claiming the page was hacked.
Originally reported by KEZI, the Facebook post was apparently in response to a previous post on Wooten’s page about shooting rioters.
The Facebook post said: “I made the comment we should shoot the rioters and someone asked me how I could possibly do that. I replied it depended on distance, wind, temp, humidity and a few other variables but once I had the calculations done it would be a matter of breathing control and trigger squeeze.”
In the news release, South Lane said it was “made aware” of news story. “Chief Wooten did not make any statement in his official capacity as fire chief,” the release said.
“The chief’s personal Facebook page was hacked and has since been taken down,” the release continued.
Before the Facebook page was taken down, KEZI’s took screenshots of Wooten’s previous Facebook posts, including reposts from sites such as “Liberalism is the problem” and “Miltia News” that referred to the governor in a derogatory way.
Wooten was hired as fire chief and CEO of South Lane County Fire & Rescue in June 2014, according to his Linkedin page. Before that he was deputy chief at Helix Rural Fire Protection District for two years, chief paramedic/administrator at East Umatilla County Health District for nearly two years, with Life Flight Network for nearly two years and a Pendleton Fire and Ambulance lieutenant and paramedic from October 2001 to October 2012.
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©2020 The Register-Guard (Eugene, Ore.)